Lawndart, I apologize for the how off track the welding comments have gotten here...my post count shows I dont post much here, but have been around for some time. I only comment when I feel 100% sure of my responses. I dont build high tech race engines for top fuel or what have you. But what I am is a highly skilled welder and have been for many decades...to codes much higher than gravel trailers and trucks (but I did that when I was first starting out in the trade).

All bull$hit aside, the old saying is you use the correct tool for the job. Each welding process has its place for a reason but I assure you if you ask any real professional at any welding shop or race car shop they will concur that this is no place for SMAW...whether 6010 or a 7018 rod!

The pissing matches aside, I will say from the half dozen A-Bodys I have owned that this doesn't look like the factory welds from my experiences. But thats just my experiences, and not to discredit Jim Lusk and the vast history he has had with them either. The fact is back in the day these cars were built they were indeed done with varying welding processes, and SMAW was used on them, and by a human who very well could have been having a off day.

Absolutely make sure you can run a straight rod thru the UCA mounts when done to avoid binding within the joints.

Also, any real professional welder should be able to weld that up with any process without issue...whether SMAW, GMAW or GTAW. They metal becomes molten at the same temperature regardless of the process. The benefits are a reduced heat affected zone with certain processes. Thats a bigger key when you get into the metallurgy of things. Again...the correct tool for the job! Exactly why no professionals build car chassis, cages, suspensions, etc with SMAW. Its not that it cannot be done...it goes much deeper than that, the welds will rarely fail...but the affected area around a weld that fails, aka the heat affected zone.

One last rant...Grizzly, its absolutely sheetmetal! These are not gravel trailers or truck chassis here, its a light gauge material no more than prolly 10Ga, not plate like the stuff found on what your working with. Huge differene...and no professional welder is welding "Gauge" material with 6010. EVER!

In closing, Lawndart...either GMAW or GTAW will both work 100% without question and meet any and all your needs for this repair without worries!